In the sports of skiing and surfing, the rider must move against the natural forces of gravity or incoming wave action to reach a point where he or she can harness those natural forces to ride down a hillside or along the face of a wave. Few skiers would consider engaging in their sport without the benefit of powered lifts to overcome gravity and start their runs high up on the hillside. Despite the long-standing availability of several expired patents that teach offshore towing systems, most surfers still rely on paddling and rip currents to reach desirable offshore locations for riding incoming waves.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,181,861 to Wilkinson discusses a system for installation at beaches to allow riders to be carried on tow bars along the surface of the water to an offshore location. Another system, discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,463 to St. Cyr, includes shorter support towers at loading and unloading stations for allowing riders to mount and dismount tow bars. In this manner, the cable is at a lower height nearer the water when a rider reaches the offshore location. At that point, the rider may jump into the water with his board.
For offshore towing systems to see widespread usage, significant improvements still appear needed. Particularly desirable would be increased flexibility to accommodate a wide range of surfing conditions and varying skills and interests of riders.